Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Alok Sharma, Member of Parliament for Reading West, was invited to open the Berkshire Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Therapy Centre’s Christmas Fayre on Saturday 19th November. The event was entirely organised by the members of Centre, who all suffer from MS, a degenerative disease for which there is no known cure. See the press release on his website here

Monday, 28 November 2011

"The MS Society has signed an initial agreement to transfer Brambles Respite Care Centre to a new provider, possibly preventing it from closure.
Following a revised offer from the company previously interested in taking over the centre, MS Respite & Care Services Ltd, ‘Heads of Terms’ have been signed to transfer the centre into their ownership."

"The Great Exhibition
2012 would love to work with the The Berkshire Multiple Sclerosis Therapy
Centre in helping to promote all the great work you do for people suffering
with the condition. The aim of the Great Exhibition 2012 is to celebrate
everything that is Great about Britain, and the charity work that takes place
in the country is very important. You are up as a Great on the website,
and we want you to get as many votes as possible for the Great. Here is
the link for the profile which you should feel free to send to as many people
as possible! http://www.thegreatexhibition2012.co.uk/greats/berkshire-multiple-sclerosis-therapy-centre

Not only this, but we
would like to propose that when you reach 500 votes our CEO Julie Benson will
come down the centre for half a day and volunteer. We would also make a
film to show all hard work that the centre does which will be put on your
profile to show people our experience of volunteering at the centre. This
will enhance the profile of the Great, show people what you do, encourage people
to make donations to the charity and visit your website."

Five programmes exploring the ways in which we decide how far to be honest about ourselves, and in doing so become vulnerable to the judgements of others.

2. Cathy, Andrew and Emily

Multiple Sclerosis is most often diagnosed in people aged between 20 and 40, a time when careers and relationships are of primary importance. Two MS patients in their 30s talk about the challenges of coming out with the disease, and how far to be totally open about it. This Sunday 27th November, BBC Radio 4 at 2.45 pm.. For more click here

This year the Christmas Spirit has found 3 local bands. Each
of them have decided to help BMSTC!

On December 3rd , the Reading Spring Gardens Brass
Band are giving a concert at Park United Reform Church 19:30-21:30. Proceeds
from the raffle at the concert will go to the BMSTC.

On Dec 13th, Breakaway Brass will be playing
carols to entertain the public in Broad Street from 18:00, whilst members from
the centre collect.

On Dec 16th, the clarinet group from Trinity Concert Band will be playing
at the Centre to entertain members at their Christmas Party and on Dec 20th
the band will be playing carols in Broad Street from 18:00. Trinity’s Christmas
Concerts are on Dec 17th at Bearwood College Theatre
Sindlesham.

The BMSTC is grateful to these musical groups for sharing
the Christmas Spirit with us. If you enjoy music, especially Christmas music,
why not join them at one of the concerts.

Sunday, 27 November 2011

Our Patron, Martin Salter, is standing in for Debbie McGee on BBC Radio Berkshire this Sunday, and our Jackie Malcolm, has been invited along as his guest along with our new friend Alok Sharma, Reading West MP! For more click here!

Thursday, 24 November 2011

"We spoke to Lauren from the Mayo Clinic about smoking and how it affects the course of MS. In the midst of the crazy-busy poster hall at the MS conference, Lauren managed to give us a good insight into her study." To watch click here. ﻿

A new research blog has been launched by the MS Society on how drug trials work.

"We hear about new ideas in medicine all the time, but why do we have to wait so long to get a treatment? It can take years or even decades to get a treatment through clinical trials and it can be very frustrating to wait for that research to happen, but there are good reasons for research to take so long."

Wednesday, 23 November 2011

Source: Nursing Times
"Among the biggest cuts identified are at Heatherwood and Wexham Park NHS Foundation Trust. The RCN says it lost 280 full time posts in 2010-11 and plans to cut another 533 by 2014, equating to more than a quarter of its total 2010 headcount." Read more here.

Source the MS Trust:
On 17th November, the NHS Future Forum published a letter to the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley. This letter requests priority is given to a number of areas in the Department of Health's Operating Framework for the NHS 2012-13, the document that will set out the structural plan for next year. Read more here.

If you provide care or support to a dependent adult or disabled child You are a Carer Pop along to the Council Chamber Civic Offices, Reading on Friday 2 December 2011 between 10:00am and 2:00pm
For INFORMATION, ADVICE AND SUPPORT from Princess Royal Trust Carers Service, Reading Crossroads, Mencap, Jobcentre Plus, Age UK and Reading Borough Council and many more organisations plus:

11.00am - 12noon: MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY A seminar from the Money Advice Service* covering budgeting, borrowing, spending and saving.

12.30pm - 1:30pm: YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS Local solicitors Turpin and Miller will present money related legal issues such as Carers' Assessments, Personal Budgets, charging for services and Power of Attorney.

Refreshments provided To book, or if you need respite or help with transport please call Helen at PRT Carers Service on 0118 960 7030 or email Helen@prtberks.plus.com

Source The Telegraph:
Those with "excess" levels of the vitamin in their blood were 2.5 times more likely than those with normal levels to have atrial fibrillation (AF), a type of heart flutter common in old age which can lead to stroke.

More than a million people in Britain are thought to have AF, the vast majority over 70. Read more here.

Thursday, 17 November 2011

Our thanks go to Simon Holmes who did a 10K race at the end of October to raise money for BMSTC.

"I have managed to raise just under £500, which is double my target! The race went well, I ended up coming about 1600 out of 2200,
which I'm happy with. I completed the race in 2 hours 5 minutes! The distance was
actually over 11.5km in the end, the last 2k being by far the hardest having
just run up and down the Millennium Stadium stairs for about 20
minutes!! A few of the obstacles were interesting. One
being an army assault course with cargo nets, monkey bars, boxes to
climb up and jump off. It all looks easy but after 7 or so kilometres, it
was pretty hard going. Another part was climbing down
the side of a slippery hill then wadingthrough
the river, twice!! Again sounds ok, but the water was freezing and long climb
back up the hill each time. It all finished off with a 8/9 foot wall with
a couple of ropes to use to climb to the top!!

The running went well, I had a few issues about 2km in and looking
behind me to the Millennium Stadium in the far
distance the morale really dropped. But after a little bit of
stretching and a few encouraging words from other competitors, I managed to run
most of it! I walked a bit after the stair climbing and bouncy
castle assault course, which really took it out of me!! But got
my rhythm back over the last kilometre and managed to cross the line
running!!

I have attached a picture of me at the end of the race look
pretty sweaty and very exhausted!!"

Source MS Trust:
More than 7,000 investigators convened in Amsterdam on October 19-22, 2011 to present findings at a joint congress of ECTRIMS (European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS) and ACTRIMS (Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in MS).Read more here.

Thursday, 10 November 2011

Retailers in Reading will extend a warm welcome to the elderly and disabled during a special Christmas shopping evening in the town centre on Monday 5 December.

The festive shopping evening, organised by Reading Borough Council in partnership with Reading UK CIC, The Oracle and The British Red Cross aims to help make shopping an easy and enjoyable experience for elderly and disabled people. For more information click here.

Wednesday, 9 November 2011

MS Trust Consultation at BMSTC - The MS Trust is looking to the future and trying to identify the big challenges and changes that will affect people with MS over the next 5 years. We’re doing this to make sure that the services we are providing fit with those that PWMS want the most in the future. We want your views on what you think these challenges and changes will be. We’ve identified some key areas already, you can comment on these or suggest things you think we haven’t included. Read more here.

Almost one million people will be stripped of their incapacity benefit payments and forced to look for jobs under major reforms to the welfare system over the next three years, research has found. Read more here.

A study of 35 children under the age of 18 treated for 23 months with natalizumab (Tysabri) found that the treatment was safe, well tolerated and effective in suppressing disease activity. Read more here.

Source MS Society: An independent review launched on the 4th November has called for the Government to protect mobility payments for disabled people living in residential care. The report states that removing the benefit from people would lead to a loss of their independence. For more click here.

Friday, 4 November 2011

Source MS Society:An independent review launched today in Parliament has called for the Government to protect mobility payments for disabled people living in residential care. The report states that removing the benefit from people would lead to a loss of their independence. Read more here.

Source MS Trust:Clinical trials report good results at international meeting on MS research
The 5th joint triennial congress for the European and Americas Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS/ECTRIMS) was held in Amsterdam on 19-22 October 2011.
A number of clinical trials reported promising results. A selection of the highlights follows. Read more here.

Source MS Trust:Cognition - 22 November 2011 10am-7pm
Do you sometimes forget where you have put things? Or find that you can't say what's on the tip of your tongue? This chatroom will discuss issues to do with memory, concentration, attention span, visuospatial awareness and dealing with complex tasks. For more click here.

Source MS Trust:
Results from the BRAVO trial, a phase III double blind placebo controlled study comparing 0.6mg of laquinimod with interferon beta 1a and placebo over two years in people with relapsing remitting MS, found no reduction in relapse risk. The study included 1,331 people with relapsing remitting MS and is the second of two global phase III trials. For more click here.

Vitalise is a national charity providing short breaks (respite care) and other services for people with physical disabilities, visually impaired people, and carers.
We offer inspirational opportunities for volunteers through one of the largest, most diverse volunteer programmes in the UK. For more information click here.

We are all very sad to hear the tragic news of Carol Hutchins death last week.
Carol has been involved with the Centre for many years serving as a Trustee before we moved to Bradbury House in addition to offering her professional health and safety consultancy services. Carol has been involved in numerous fundraising events to support the Centre including running the Reading Half Marathon, and when she was no longer able to run, completing the event on her hand bike.

Carol lived with MS for 20 years, she always focused on what she could do rather than what she couldn't. Sadly she experienced a rapid decline over the past 3 years. She was a gritty, determined and extremely positive individual with a big heart and personality who was known amongst friends as the "Diva" as a result! Underneath this was a highly intuitive and compassionate individual who always showed a keen interest in other people.

On a personal note I have known Carol for the past 16 years from when I first moved to Reading, and since then she has been, and will continue to be, an inspiration to me. It was Carol who suggested to me 14 years ago about working for the MS Therapy Centre. I was looking to change career path from Sales to Fundraising, and was lucky enough to help out on the "New Centre Appeal" to build Bradbury House, before later taking over from Charles Rampton as Manager in 2000. I have Carol to thank for giving me the opportunity to work at such a fantastic place in job that I still love today. For details of her funeral or to leave a donation to BMSTC in her memory please see her tribute page here.